Christmas tree stand



May 29, 1956 M. A. BLU

CHRISTMAS TREE STAND Filed May 1.8, 1953 Marshall A B/u INVENTOR.

Attorneys CHRISTMAS TREE STAND Marshall A. Blu, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Harriet I. 1311:, executrix of said Marshall A. Blu, deceased Application May 18, 1953, Serial No. 355,759

2 Claims. (Cl. 248-44) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in Christmas tree stands and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a Christmas tree stand composed of a plurality of strengthened leg members and novel and improved means for tightening the leg members against a tree, post, pole or the like in a convenient manner.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a Christmas tree stand including U-shaped supporting leg members which are V-shaped in cross-section and have facing vertical inner limbs forming seats for the periphery of a tree or the like.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a Christmas tree stand involving strengthening strips which are fixed in the interior of the leg members to greatly strengthen and rigidify the leg members without adding appreciable weight thereto.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a Christmas tree stand that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, small and compact in structure, neat and attractive in appearance, efficient and durable in operation, inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of the present invention and showing a portion of a tree held thereby and in sectlon;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of broken section line 3--3 of Figure 2; and,

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral represents an inverted substantially U-shaped leg memher having an outer limb 12, an inner vertical limb 14 and a connecting bight portion 16 joining the inner and outer limbs.

The leg member 10 is substantially V-shaped in crosssection with the inner limb of the leg member forming a seat for a tree T, or the like. The outer limb 12 terminates in a fiat tip 18 that will rest upon a floor surface and the tip 18 is disposed well below the lower end of the inner limb 14 as shown in Figure 2.

The bight portion 16 and outer limb 12 are reinforced and strengthened by a curved strip 20 which is disposed within the hollow interior of the portion 16 and limb 12. The flanged side edges 22 and 24 of the strip '20 are fixed by welding or any suitable means to'the inner walls of the flanges defining the sides of the limb 12 and bight portion 16.

A plurality of the leg members 10, preferably three, are used tofor'm the'present-stand. All but one of the leg members are provided with a horizontal notch 26 in their inner limbs for accommodating a flexible, metaliic, tightening bandor strap 28 to prevent'the band from slipping upwardly or downwardly. The remaining leg member is provided with pairs of spaced vertical slots 30 that receive vertically spaced upper and lower tongues 32 and 34 at the ends of a resilient U- shaped horizontally disposed housing 36. The legs of the housing 36 are yieldingly urged apart whereby the tongues 32 and 34 will be yieldingly retained in the slots 38. The tongues 32 and 34 are spaced apart sufficiently to permit the band 28 to be received therebetween.

The web portion 38 of housing 36 is provided with an aperture 40 that slidably receives the threaded shank portion 42 of an eye member 44. The internally threaded aperture 46 in one end of a handle 48 receivably engages the shank portion 42. The inner end of handle 48 rests against web portion 38 and the handle 48 is rotated to adjust the eye member longitudinally within housing 36.

The ends of band 28 are engaged with eye member 44 and extend through a loop 50, whereby longitudinal adjustment of eye member 44 within housing 36 and toward web portion 38 will tighten the band and draw the members 10 toward each other for the purpose of clamping the vertical limbs 16 against a tree T or the like whose lower end may be spaced above or contact the surface upon which tips 18 engage.

It should be noted that the present tree stand is adjustable to accommodate variations in tree trunk sizes and shapes. This feature is accomplished due to the fact that the band 28 is adjustable in the slots 26 in order that the legs may be adjustable relative to each other to retain the main body of a crooked tree trunk vertical.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A Christmas tree stand comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially disposed inverted U- shaped leg members each having an inner vertical limb, said vertical limbs being V-shaped in cross-section and facing each other and adapted to seat against a tree, a flexible tightening band extending about the inner limbs of said leg members, a U-shaped housing having its ends secured to one of said limbs, said housing including a web portion with an aperture, an eye element positioned in said housing and having a threaded shank portion slidably received in said aperture, the ends of said band being secured to said eye element, and a handle having an end engaging said web portion and threaded on said shank portion to tighten the band about the limbs, portions of both sides of the V-shaped limbs of the other leg members being cut through in a manner to slidably accommodate said band to restrict upward and downward sliding movement of the band relative to said other limbs.

2. A Christmas tree stand comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially disposed inverted U- shaped leg members each having an inner vertical limb, said vertical limbs being V-shaped in cross-section and facing each other and adapted to seat against a tree, a flexible tightening band extending about the inner limbs of said leg members, a U-shaped housing having its ends secured to one of said limbs, said housing including a web portion with an aperture, an eye element positioned in said housing and having a threaded shank portion slidably received in said aperture, the ends of said band References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS McFaddin Mar. 24, 1914 Wesche Dec. 25, 1917 4 Wallace Feb. 22, 1949 Doebling Oct. 25, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Apr. 14, 1882 Sweden Mar. 31, 1930 

